There has been a bit of a lull on the ATP tour since Wimbledon and the Davis Cup. The top three players in the world have each taken time off the tour and are not scheduled to make a return to the tour until they come back for the Roger’s Cup in Montreal, Canada in August. With the prolonged layoff, we wonder who benefits the most from the rest and who suffers the most from the rust.

Roger Federer Could Definitely Use the Rest:

Roger Federer will celebrate his 30th birthday by the start of the Montreal Masters Series tournament. He has been a professional since 1998 and has played in 965 singles matches since becoming a professional. Federer has remained incredibly fit throughout his career, but that does not mean that he has not gone through a lot of wear and tear on his body over the years.

The rest comes at a great time for Federer, as it will allow him to be in top shape in time for the U.S. hard-court season where Federer has typically performed well in his career. The time off will also allow him to relax and focus on other aspects of his life such as his family and his foundation. There might not be too much to hone and refine on the technical side of his game, but Federer can still benefit from further analyze and review what went right and what went wrong for him during the year.

Final Verdict: The rest is definitely a good thing. Federer has shown that he can still play at an extremely high caliber but the only question is whether Federer is able to sustain that level of play for prolonged stretches of time at this stage in his career.

Rafael Nadal Should Use the Time to Heal:

Nadal should be the biggest winner from having a long lay-off on tour. On the mental side of things, it gives him a chance to figure out a working game plan against Novak Djokovic. It also should help him to improve on certain weaknesses to his game such as his serve and his backhand.

But most importantly, the rest will give Nadal a chance to get fully healthy. Nadal’s playing style leaves him prone to injury, which played a role in Nadal’s struggles in both the Australian Open and at Wimbledon. Nadal suffered a hamstring injury that noticeably hobbled him at the Australian Open against David Ferrer. At Wimbledon, Nadal had a heel injury that may have affected his overall game, preventing him from defending his Wimbledon crown.

Then again, Nadal will have that time to stew about his loss in the Wimbledon final against Djokovic. So much of the game is mental, and Nadal has clearly gotten his confidence shaken. Nadal will need to regain his confidence to play at his best, but instead of being able to bounce back and go win another match, Nadal’s loss will now hang over him for over a month.

Final Verdict: Ultimately, it is a bit unclear. Physically, it should help Nadal immensely, but mentally, it could stick with the Spaniard for a while.

Will the layoff make a difference to Federer or Nadal? How will it affect them?

There's few things in tennis that Federer and Nadal, two forever linked all-time greats, haven't done together.Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have played each other three times in the Tennis Masters Cup/World Tour Finals, but never in the event's round-robin stage. That will change next week, as both men were drawn into Group B, which also includes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mardy Fish.

Since 2005, the first year both Federer and Nadal qualified for the season-ending tournament (even if Nadal didn't actually play it), it's been impossible for the two rivals to meet at this juncture—they had always been ranked No. 1 and No. 2, in some order, and therefore couldn't be placed in the same group. But Novak Djokovic's top-drawer season allowed the possibility of a round-robin rumble this year. It will be one of the hottest tickets in London, the first time since the third round of the 2004 Miami Masters—their first match—that Federer and Nadal will square off before the semifinals of a tournament.

History and current form favor the presently lower-ranked Federer. The five-time champion is fresh off two indoor titles—Basel and Bercy—and Nadal, who last played in the third round of Shanghai, has rarely thrived inside. He's also never beaten Federer at this event, losing all three meetings, including last year's final:

Nearly half of Federer's eight wins against Nadal have come at the season-ending finale, but he's also downed the King of Clay at Wimbledon (twice), Miami, Hamburg and Madrid. Nadal's 17 triumphs over Federer have been earned at nine different tournaments (if you count Hamburg and Madrid as two), including three of the Grand Slams.

No matter the result of their 26th match, the round-robin setting makes it a first—a rarity for these tennis titans, who've contested each other in almost every imaginable scenario. Except for a few. Here's five Roger-Rafa happenings we're still waiting on:

1. They've never played at the U.S. OpenAnd you wonder if they ever will, given the opportunities Federer squandered over the past two years—four, to be exact. That's how many combined match points Federer had in two consecutive semifinals (facing Djokovic each time), a pair each year. Miraculously, Djokovic denied them all, won both matches and earned two showdowns with Nadal. The Serb is tennis' answer to Yogi Berra, who famously coined the phrase, "It ain't over till it's over."

For years, Federer, who reached six straight U.S. Open finals from 2004-09, was waiting for Nadal to show up at the end—the Spaniard didn't hold up his end of the bargain in 2008 and 2009, losing in the semis. But now the script has been flipped. Maybe it's just not meant to be.

Odds of this happening: 10 to 1

2. They've never played in between Wimbledon and the U.S. OpenWhen Roger and Rafa met in the semifinals of this year's Miami Masters, it was the first time they'd collided in North America since 2005, also in Miami. It was hardly worth the wait—in one of their most uncompetitive matches, Nadal crushed Federer, 3 and 2:

Still, Key Biscayne was the scene for one of tennis' greatest rivalries for a third time. Toronto, Montreal and Cincinnati, hard-court Masters tournaments that precede the U.S. Open, are still waiting their turn. (So is Indian Wells, held right before Miami.) It's surprising that North American encounters between the two have been so rare, despite the later rounds often being their only possible rendezvous point. Consider: They've played the Monte Carlo final together three times, the Rome final once, and in Hamburg or Madrid five times—all clay-court tournaments, where Federer typically has his "worst" results (he went 2-7 in those matches). Chalk this omission up to post-Wimbledon fatigue and the fact that, if Nadal has a "worst" surface, it's hard courts.

And just so we're clear, "worst" for Federer and Nadal equates to the best for almost every other professional tennis player.

Odds of this happening: 5 to 1

3. They've never played in Davis CupThis missing puzzle piece could end up being the toughest to find. Federer's participation in Davis Cup has always been spotty, and when Spain and Switzerland were drawn to meet each other in the opening round last year, both Roger and Rafa took a pass. It was a bummer, but not wholly unexpected.

Another potential roadblock: Even if their respective countries collide, there's a chance, albeit a small one, that their likely fourth-rubber match could be rendered irrelevent, dead, if one nation sweeps the first three. I'm sure they'd still play it out, but it wouldn't be the same, and we've had our fill of Federer-Nadal exhibitions, including the half-grass, half-clay Battle of the Surfaces in 2007:

The best chance of a Roger-Rafa rubber is in the competition's final two rounds, when both men would likely make themselves available. That's the earliest they could meet next year, but that's a long ways away on mutliple levels. In the meantime, lend your support to Davis Cup stalwarts Stanislas Wawrinka and David Ferrer, who will try and steer their ships toward a potentially memorable semi.

Odds of this happening: 20 to 1

4. They've never played on grass beyond WimbledonAnd maybe that's for the best, to keep their three straight SW19 finals so hallowed. But their last one, the 2008 epic, feels like a long time ago, and I'm sure some of you want to see another R/R chapter unfold on turf, at the All England Club or elsewhere. You may get your wish: Nadal, who traditionally plays Queen's Club, will instead play Halle in 2012. Federer has missed that Wimbledon warm-up just three times in the last 12 years, and has a playing agreement with tournament organizers.

Odds of this happening: 3 to 1

5. They've never played together in doublesI might want this to happen more than any of the others. Federer and Nadal exposed tennis to more people, improved the overall quality of play, and are outstanding ambassadors for the sport. They get along very well, and it seems natural that they should, at some point, literally join forces.

Obviously, they'd be a formidable pair—they'd even have the lefty-righty dynamic working. Sort of like Nadal and Djokovic, who teamed at last year's Canadian Open. (It should be said that they lost their only match there.) Both Roger and Rafa ocassionally dabble in doubles, though usually with their countymen. A Spanish-Swiss union seems unlikely in 2012, given the busy schedule with the Olympics, but I suspect at some point they'll play on the same side of the net. Maybe at a tournament they haven't won in singles—I'm racking my brain just to think of one.

When the Group B pairings for the ATP World Tour Finals dictated a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal round-robin clash, many fans probably had one of two reactions:

A: It just doesn't have the same ring. We have moved on. Or

B: It feels just like old times.

Option A is the more obvious reaction, given the way Novak Djokovic (who heads up the seemingly weaker Group A) has relegated everyone else to "supporting cast" status through the bulk of the season. It's no secret that both Federer and Nadal have dented reputations because of Djokovic's accomplishments this year.

Sure, Federer won the tournament in Basel, Switzerland, and the Paris Indoors just last week, and he brings a 12-match winning streak to the grand finale in London. But he didn't have to face either Nadal or Djokovic at those events, and he seemed only to decline through the Grand Slam season from his peak in early June, when he halted Djokovic's 43-match win streak in the semifinals of the French Open.

At Wimbledon, Federer blew a two-set lead over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who roared back to win their quarterfinal. And in the U.S. Open semifinals, Federer had two match points on Djokovic but couldn't close the deal. The Swiss, now No. 4 behind Andy Murray, went 10 months without winning a tournament before he popped back to life in Basel. Coming up big in the fall is OK for guys like Murray or Tomas Berdych, but this is Federer we're talking about here.

But at least Federer has made a late-season push. The same cannot be said for Nadal, who seems a more damaged champion -- thanks mainly to the way Djokovic has manhandled him (he's a staggering 6-0 against Nadal this year, and two of those matches were played on clay -- Nadal's battlefield of choice). Unlike his pal and rival Federer, Nadal did not pull out of the Asian fall events. He played them with so-so results, losing to Murray in Tokyo and Florian Mayer at the Shanghai Masters.

After that, Nadal pulled out of the European indoor events that end the season, taking a calculated risk. Sure he'll be well-rested for London. But he could also be rusty; he quit on a down note and played no official matches for a solid month.

Also, Nadal has never won the year-end championships, indoors or out, while Federer is the defending champ and a five-time WTF winner. He played Nadal in the final last year and won going away, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. This could be a blowout and leave Nadal with just one bit of consolation (albeit a big one) for 2011: his triumph at the French Open.

Option B is a slightly more nuanced reaction. Federer and Nadal know that there's much ground to regain with a big win in London, especially if it's over Djokovic. And everyone knows that Djokovic is belly-crawling to the finish line with an injured shoulder and -- perhaps -- the player's equivalent of the food coma that lies in store for all of us in a week.

I'm sure that both of these guys would love to get another crack at Djokovic, who took off almost exactly the same amount of time as Federer after the U.S. Open but has had singularly less impressive results upon his return (loss to Kei Nishikori in the Basel semis and a withdrawal in the quarters in Paris). Should Djokovic prove unable to start (or finish) the event, so much the better. The opportunity is obvious.

It's too late in the year to do anything about Djokovic's No. 1 ranking and clear-cut status as the big dog for 2012. But any match between Federer and Nadal is significant because their rivalry is historic and particularly intriguing because, while Federer is the all-time Grand Slam title champion, Nadal holds a striking 17-8 edge in their head-to-head meetings.

Nadal needs to win this event more than Federer does; it represents the only blank spot on his resume. He also needs the boost of a big win more than his rival. Federer is over 30 and he owns 16 Grand Slam singles titles; at this stage it's all gravy. Nadal is just 25 and on the defensive in a big way for the first time in his career. Nadal is more desperate, but Federer is more dangerous.

Rafael Nadal defeated Roger Federer in three of four meetings this season, including a semi-final clash in Miami.

ATPWorldTour.com reviews how the key rivalries played out in 2011. Today we feature Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer.

It is one of the most storied rivalries in tennis history, as fans around the world follow intently when Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer battle it out on court. Nadal continued to extend his advantage in his FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series with Federer, winning three of four meetings against his Swiss opponent during the 2011 season to move ahead 17-9. But Federer had the final say at the end of the year, sending a message that he will be a fierce competitor in 2012.

Their first clash was a highly anticipated semi-final encounter at the Sony Ericsson Open, where the two were meeting for the first time in six years on North American soil. However, the Star-Spangled blockbuster did not quite live up to its billing, as Nadal compiled an all-around performance to dismiss Federer 6-3, 6-2, advancing to his third Miami final.

“In general, I think I played a very, very good match, very solid and serious,” said Nadal. "I was playing very good from the baseline, without mistakes with my forehand, playing aggressive, so it wasn't an easy situation [for him] when [he was] back all the time in the score.”

Nadal was victorious again when the two squared off in the semi-finals of the Mutua Madrid Open, rallying from a set down to win 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 and claim his 37th straight win on clay.

“I thought Rafa played well and me too at times so it was a good match," Federer said. "It was it a good first set and even the second set at 6-1 doesn’t tell the truth and the third as well. I felt it was very close. Maybe the result doesn’t show as much but I thought I was right here.”

The dynamic duo met for the third time, four weeks later, in the Roland Garros final - though their match-up was somewhat unexpected. Riding a wave of strong form, Federer knocked out then Novak Djokovic - who, at the time, was undefeated in 41 matches in 2011 - in the semi-finals. The 16-time major champion showed his hunger to lift another Grand Slam trophy, opening with a 5-2 lead in the first set and holding a set point against the "King Of Clay". But Nadal clawed his way back, winning five games in a row to deny Federer the set. While the 2009 champion had his opportunities throughout the match, Nadal closed him out 7-5, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-1 in three hours and 40 minutes to win his record-tying sixth crown at the event.

“For me it's something very special to equal the six titles of Bjorn Borg, for sure,” said Nadal. “But the most important thing is to win Roland Garros. It's really an honour to have this record with him. I am going to keep working to be here next year and to try to play well another time.”

Nadal and Federer did not face off again until the end of the season at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Playing his best tennis of the year, Federer sent shockwaves across the O2 Arena, dominating the round-robin meeting with a convincing 6-3, 6-0 victory over the second-ranked Nadal in 60 minutes of play. Federer cracked 28 winners to Nadal’s four, and notched his first win against the Mallorcan since defeating him in the 2010 London final.

“It was a great match for me basically from start to finish,” stated Federer. “I was able to do what I was hoping to do: dominate from the baseline, play close to the baseline, serve well, take his time away… For me it was an exciting match to play.”

The 30 year old went on to win his record-breaking sixth year-end championship, finishing 2011 with a 17-match win streak and World No. 3 ranking.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Tennis fans have had no shortage of tantalizing matchups during the Australian Open. Roger Federer confronted young, fast-rising Aussie Bernard Tomic, Federer tangled with Juan Martin del Potro in a repeat of the 2009 U.S. Open final, and Novak Djokovic played Aussie veteran Lleyton Hewitt.

Now comes the best of the bunch: It's Federer versus Rafael Nadal in the semifinals Thursday.

With their 27th meeting looming, we look back at their top five matches.

5. Nadal def. Federer 6-7 (0), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5), Rome Masters, 2006If only they could produce this kind of magic at the French Open. More than five hours of magic, to be more precise, the longest match in this storied Federer-Nadal rivalry. Nadal was gunning for a 53rd straight win on clay, which would tie him with Guillermo Vilas, while Federer sought a first victory against Nadal on dirt. Federer would come close. He led by a break in the fifth set and held two match points on Nadal's serve in the 12th game; both times he erred on forehands. Nadal took advantage and edged the Swiss, who approached the net a staggering 84 times."I should have won," Federer said afterward. "He caught me right at the finish line."Makes you wish they still played best-of-five sets in these Masters Series finals.

4. Nadal def. Federer 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1, French Open, 2011It wasn't a match point, but a Federer miss cost him in last year's French Open final -- his finest opportunity to upend a vulnerable Nadal at Roland Garros. Holding a 5-2 lead in the first set, Federer opted for a drop shot with Nadal stranded. Good call, but the ball landed narrowly wide. A game-changer. "I definitely thought that I got maybe a touch unlucky there, and he got a touch lucky," Federer said after the match. Nadal didn't run away with the proceedings thereafter, however. Far from it. He couldn't serve out the second set, eventually needing a tiebreaker.Then in the third, he strangely wasted a 4-2 lead. Federer upped the ante, ironically helped by the drop shot. Nadal had to fend off three consecutive break points to begin the fourth as the rollercoaster ride continued. In the end, Nadal collected his sixth French Open title.

3. Federer def. Nadal 7-6 (7), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2, Wimbledon, 2007A charging Nadal was gunning for his first Wimbledon title, and first Grand Slam title outside Paris.Not just yet. The turning point came when Federer survived four break points in the fifth set; a dispirited Nadal was broken at 2-3 and didn't win another game. Federer walked away from SW19 as the champion for the fifth straight year, matching Bjorn Borg's feat. "It was such a close match," a relieved Federer said. "I told Rafa at the net he deserved it as well. I'm the lucky one today." The brawny Nadal broke down afterward, he later revealed. "When I arrived to the locker room, I sat down, and as it's normal after losing the final of the tournament that you dream of winning, against the No. 1 and with lots of chances, I started to cry of anger, of sadness," he said.

2. Nadal def. Federer 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-2, Australian Open, 2009More tears, and this time Federer was the one doing the crying. He had to be consoled by Nadal during his postmatch speech on court; it was Federer's fifth straight loss to the lefty. "God, it's killing me," Federer uttered in a now-famous line (at least in the tennis world) with Rod Laver in attendance. This was the tussle in which Nadal exhibited his superior powers of recovery. Only two days earlier, he spent more than five hours on court in a draining semifinal against Fernando Verdasco. "I was pretty concerned, not being sure whether I could be at my best," Nadal said. "It's tough feeling that way when it's your first final in Australia and you're not sure you're going to be 100 percent. But in the end, everything worked out well for me." Federer won one more point overall than Nadal but was inefficient on break points, going 6-for-19.

1. Nadal def. Federer 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-7 (8), 9-7, Wimbledon, 2008Having come close to dethroning Federer at Wimbledon a year before, Nadal was intent on going one better. He got there. And how. Pundits have called it the greatest tennis match of all time, and not many would disagree. Rain delayed the start and two more interruptions followed, with fading light then becoming an issue. But the tennis, not Mother Nature, had the last word. In a tiebreaker of epic proportions -- in the fourth set -- Nadal, standing several yards behind the baseline, uncorked a wonderful forehand pass down the line. He was, though, outdone by Federer, who saved a match point with a gutsy backhand pass down the line. Nadal displayed his mental toughness in the fifth. Instead of cracking, he held firm, despite serving second. Four hours, 48 minutes of theatre came to a conclusion when Federer netted a forehand. Out went his 65-match winning streak on grass. "Probably my hardest loss by far," Federer said. Thursday's affair in Melbourne promises to be a classic, too.

Rafael Nadal used his Facebook pageto show fans how he has been training.

John McEnroe recently declared tennis is going through an "incredible time" and the popularity of two of the world’s Top 3 players, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, continues to be among the highest of athletes on Facebook.

Both players are fast approaching 10 million fans on their individual Facebook pages, with 16-time Grand Slam champion Federer passing 9.7m and 10-time major winner Nadal following close behind with 9.5m fans. Both have some work to do, though, if they are to catch up with Real Madrid footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who is on the verge if reaching a staggering 40m fans.

It's not just the players who are excelling. Facebook.com/ATPWorldTour passed 800,000 fans on 6 February and is looking to break the 1m mark soon. Are you an ATP World Tour Facebook Fan?

Federer is currently updating fans on his preparations for Switzerland’s upcoming Davis Cup tie with the United States, sharing a photo on Sunday from his practice session on a clay court. Nadal, meanwhile, demonstrated a challenging training drill by posting a photo of himself running backwards on a treadmill on Tuesday.

Jamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt, who holds the World Record over distances of 100m and 200m, cannot compete with the popularity of Federer and Nadal, having just passed six million fans. The Olympic champion recently asked his Facebook fans for their thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s impersonation of his "lightning bolt" celebration at the Laureus World Sport Awards. Golfer Tiger Woods trails further behind, with 2.2m fans.

NBA star Kobe Bryant is marginally ahead of Federer and Nadal, with just over 11m fans, while David Beckham is nearing 16m fans.

"If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you;If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,But make allowance for their doubting too;If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;"

RafaIf you can dream - and not make dreams your master;If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;If you can meet with triumph and disasterAnd treat those two imposters just the same;

ROGER"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;If all men count with you, but none too much;If you can fill the unforgiving minuteWith sixty seconds' worth of distance run -Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!"